Who I Am
by Skylark Evanson
Summary: A songfic series about Artemis to the NJATA album "Who I Am".
1. Rose Garden

**A/N: Songfic series (without the lyrics) about Artemis to Nick Jonas and the Administration's album "Who I Am". (Don't judge. If you don't like the thought of a Jonas's music, listen to NJATA. It's much more rock, much less pop.) Will be Artemis-centric, containing bits of Spitfire here and there. Probably not all-out fluff, but will at least look into the pairing here and there. So read away! Artemis's POV as all chapters will be.**

**Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own Young Justice. Do you own it? Song is by NJATA.**

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><p><em>Rose Garden<em>

I am always wounded. I am always scarred. I don't think a day has gone by when I'm not bruised and broken. I'm always hurting because of something.

I want people to know who I am. No one really looks into me like I'm something special. They look at me because I'm there. But that doesn't mean they can't look further. Into who I am.

I'm not just a body. I'm not just a thing. I'm not a weapon nor am I a waste of space. I am something. I am a person. I am human. Yes, I do have a soul. Yes, I do have a heart. And yes, I do have a brain. Just so you know.

"What's wrong?" His voice is innocent, honestly curious. His green eyes are on me, wondering as ever. He just does that and it bothers me, but I don't push him away. Why should I? No reason to be a hater today. He hasn't pissed me off. Yet.

With Wally, I'm a ticking time bomb. I can listen to him for only so long before I want to snap. Or in this comparison, explode. Because he's irritating. Everyone knows this. Robin is the only one who can be around him for more than ten minutes, but from what that kid says behind Wally's back, we all get sick of him pretty quickly. Robin just has the best tolerance for people like that.

"Just thinking." Being realistic, that's exactly what I'm doing. That, and sharpening arrows, but nothing to worry about there. That's normal. But if I was going to be more specific, I would've said, "I joined a year ago today." Which is what I do say. Because that's kind of what I'm thinking about.

A year ago today, I joined this team, became a part of something, and was suddenly more than who I had been before. I was someone trusted. Lives were put into my hands. The lives of my teammates, my friends, and the people I cared about. They were more to me than I ever thought they would be.

I respect Kaldur. He's nice. Don't have much to say about him though. Quiet. Not shy, but quiet in a reserved way. I guess being in the shadow of a king for a few years does that to people.

Megan… No comment on her. She's sweet and all in that sisterly way, but damn, she gets about as annoying as Wally does. Her and her cookies. Her and that "Hello Megan!" thing she always does. Her and her loud music and cheerleading and all that other _garbage._ Sure, you can do all that on Mars, but some of us live in reality. The real world isn't full of cheerleaders and cookies and all those lightbulb moments. In all honesty, she needs to figure out how to be normal before she can go out into the real world.

Robin. Good kid. Deserves credit. Living with the big bat and still surviving. He must be a miracle worker behind that mask. Not sure what's up with him, but he's got a lot of talent. He'll go far in the hero business, no problem.

Superboy… Superboy Superboy Superboy… He… has very nice abs. What more is there to comment on? His bad temper? His rage problems? His obsession with protecting Megan? His abs are all he's got going for him. And his pretty eyes. Other than that, he's really just a bit dope.

Don't even get me started on Wally. Irritating. Horrible. Annoying. Eager to please, but still annoying. Overall, just annoying. He's funny, sure, but I don't think that'll hold up in a court one day when he gets himself in trouble. He's Wally. We're all just waiting for Flash to come in and say, "Yeah, Wally got himself in juvie. Sorry, guys." Just throwing that out there. It's not that he's bad or anything, but if he pisses off a cop, it won't turn out pretty.

"Didn't notice." Wally sits beside me like that's where he belongs. It's not, but I guess I can deal with it. His jade gaze follows my hands as I work to twirl an arrow between my fingertips, aiming to get them all perfect before I have to go home or before we're called on for a mission. "So one year ago, I fell into the cave and made an idiot of myself in front of you for the first time." A slight grin creeps across his features.

I nod and eye the tip of my arrow to search for the perfect point. It's not quite there so I continue to work it like a knife, rubbing it back and forth against a hardened piece of oak wood. "A year ago today." The arrow is slowly getting sharper. The tip glimmers silver in the light of the cave.

"So you've survived the League for a whole year. It's a good sign." He puts his hands behind him to prop himself up and just continues to watch while saying, "That means you probably have a good chance of being GA's successor."

My arrow slips, but I pick up my pace again, slitting the wood and hoping to get that perfect point. Still not there.

"Which is good since he's really rich and stuff." His head tilts up to the ceiling as his green eyes follow the rafters that extend through the cave and all the attached tunnels. "You're gonna be really lucky. And GA's super nice about things. What's it like having him as an uncle? Must be super cool. I bet you get, like, the coolest stuff for your birthday."

If he only knew...

So I lie. "My parents are kind of estranged from that side of the family." I keep hacking at the wood the best I can while weaving a story in my mind. "No one wanted them together, but they got married anyways. Then there's me, their mistake." I try not to look too upset, but with the way I was raised, how can I not be upset? I'm pissed that I can't live like a normal girl. I love the heroics, but... there are things I'm missing out on. Like boys. And the mall. And friends. And boys. And texting. And shopping. And boys.

Hell, it just occurred to me that I'm surrounded by boys. That's a load of shit… I'm not missing out on boys.

"Mistake?" he asks, not understanding what I'm saying.

"They didn't want me. Didn't expect me. My dad left pretty fast, but we're still in touch." My grip tightens on the arrow, the sharpened point hacking harder into the wood as I continue the quest for that perfect point to it. I'm trying to keep my anger on the down low. Don't want anyone to know about the bad blood between my father and me. "He's the one who gave me my crossbow and all my artillery. Before I got to be Green Arrow's partner and he started giving me what I needed to fight with."

"Sounds rough." He can say anything nonchalantly, I swear.

"It is. If the world is a rose garden, I somehow got stuck with the thorns." It's about as accurate as I can get it. I'm wounded. I'm scarred. I'm battered and bruised. There's no real way to explain it other than my upbringing.

"Well-said." He nods approvingly. As if I needed his approval... "You and Rob oughta go to therapy together, sort some of those problems out." In a way that only Wally could, he got up and walked away, hands in his pockets, feet going slowly. His whole air is just nonchalant. I swear... I _wish_I knew how to do that.

Although I want to follow him just so I'm not alone, I stay in my spot until I know the tip of that arrow is as sharp as possible. It takes a bit longer, but I get it done.

I work hard to survive. Even if I do need therapy, I still think I'm doing alright. For being me, at least.

Then I realize, not all of what I was saying were lies. "Shit."

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><p><strong>AN: I don't know **_**everything**_** about Artemis, but I'm working on it. Studying. Learning. Not sure what all is truth and lies here, but I'm weaving the story the way I want to. So review and I'll post another when I get back from my writing camp. Adios guys!**

**~Sky**


	2. In The End

**A/N: I guess this could be for Spitfire week… I guess…? Haha, yeah I don't really know who dubbed it Spitfire week or anything, but I'm enjoying it. Spitfire 24/7 is something I adore in these hard times.**

**Anyways, here's the latest chapter of "Who I Am". And yeah, I wanted to write it this way. Sorry if you hate the style, but I like the way I did this even if it took twice as long.**

**Disclaimer: No, I do not own the song nor any of the characters.**

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><p><em><span>In The End<span>_

It was only supposed to be a job.

"Twenty-two, twenty-three, twenty-four."

It's just a job...

"Twenty-five, twenty-six, twenty-seven."

Now he's covered in blood. Oh God...

"Twenty-eight, twenty-nine."

Just a job.

It was only after I'd shot him that I remember everything. After. The arrow left my fingertips and now I regret releasing it.

"Thirty."

He's still not breathing. He's still bleeding. I still remember. How I shot him. Only a minute and thirteen seconds ago. Blood seeps between my fingers. His blood. Oh God, what have I done?

"Thirty-one, thirty-two, thirty-three, thirty-four."

The memories come in flashes. It all comes back to haunt you in the end; that's the way it is.

I remember the day we met in the desert. Before I could remember who he was. When he held my hand. When I loved him for the first time.

I remember the day he truly smiled at me for the first time. I remember when I thought there might be something there. Something more than a fight, something more than friendship. The first day I saw him. The first day I saw the real thing.

"Thirty-five, thirty-six, thirty-seven, thirty-eight."

More blood stains my hands scarlet.

I remember the first day he kissed me. I remember when he looked at me like a girl he could care about. A girl he could love. He saw me. Just like I saw him.

His blood is all over me. My arrow is still in his chest.

"Thirty-nine, forty."

I remember the day he promised me forever. The day he whispered that he loved me. That day seems like a millennium ago. He told me he loved me. He told me... he loved me...

I remember when told him my secret. That my father was a criminal, a member of the League of Shadows. He didn't mind. I told him I was once part of the Shadows. He didn't mind. I told him I loved him. He kissed away all my worries.

"Forty-one, forty-two, forty-three."

It's so bloody...

"Forty-four, forty-five, forty-six, forty-seven."

That damn arrow...

"Forty-eight, forty-nine, fifty, fifty-one, fifty-two, fifty-three."

This stupid job...

"Fifty-four, fifty-five."

It was just supposed to be a stupid job...

"Fifty-six."

Why don't I have an arrow that can save a life?

"Fifty-seven."

I'm losing hope.

"Fifty-eight."

I remember when he asked me if I liked being an assassin, if I ever considered going back. I told him I never would. I promised him. He wrapped me in his arms and told ms he loved me. Over and over again.

It's just a job...

"Fifty-nine."

I want him to wake up.

"Sixty."

I remember the day I broke that promise. The day I killed my father. Because my father wanted to kill him. And it felt good.

"Sixty-one, sixty-two."

I remember how I told him I killed my father. He was afraid. Fear flashed in his eyes. But he said nothing. He told me everything would be okay. He kissed my worries away. That was almost all he was good for. Making me feel better.

"Sixty-three, sixty-four."

It's just a damn job.

But there's so much blood.

I'm going to Hell. I'm going to Hell.

"Sixty-five, sixty-six."

Why am I even trying?

"Sixty-seven."

I remember the exact moment I told him I was going back to the Shadows. I told him. And he dumped the ring on the table and left. He wouldn't turn me in. He wouldn't tell anyone. He still cared too much.

"Sixty-eight."

And maybe I still care too.

"Sixty-nine."

I'm an assassin again. He knew this. My target was supposed to be simple. My target was the guy in the suit. The only guy in the suit. Overdressed but still looking incredible. Assassins don't get details. An assignment. Pay. That's all we need.

"Seventy."

His heartbeat was gone at thirty-four. I know this. I pull my arrow out of his chest.

"I'm so sorry, Wally."

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><p><strong>AN: Dramatic. I loved writing this. I don't know why. The counting is for doing CPR, I think. I don't know how to do it, but it built suspense in my mind so whatever. Reviews are love!**

**~Sky**


	3. Who I Am

**A/N: Slowly working. And I'm updating this because I want to. I love writing this story. Really.**

**Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Young Justice.**

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><p><em>Who I Am<em>

"It's not who I am anymore." I'm trying to get out of it. All I feel are hard stares on my back, boring eyes through my skull, and the disappointment and rage that fills the air like smoke in a burning building. "I don't want to do this."

"The Light needs you." The ghostly voices are coming through speakers that I can't see. Or maybe it's coming through the glowing screens that hold the outlines of our bosses. I don't know, but I do know it's creepy. Kind of like Batman. "You are our infiltrator so we can know the minds of this new team."

"What if I don't want to be the infiltrator anymore?" I ask the faceless figures that are merely white shadows that give orders. "What if I don't want to be your little tool?" I really want to shoot the screens out and cut off all of the Shadows' connections off with these guys. We don't need them. I know we don't need them. We're assassins for a reason. We work alone.

Silence. Emanating, all encompassing silence. The kind that makes you feel empty inside and makes your mind feel numb, like you've been swallowed by an abyss.

"I'm not doing this anymore." I toss down my bow, watching it crack unevenly along an ugly seam that I hadn't been able to fix. The string, usually taut and strong, is suddenly loose and makes the weapon look pitiful. I feel defenseless, but I know that this isn't the role I was meant to play. I won't betray my friends. I'm a killer, a weapon, a masterpiece of death, but I know who I am. I want to be someone with friends and real family. Not all this fake garbage that I'm always being thrust into.

I take my step out of the ring of light that seems to engulf everything. The screens make everything glow as the figures don't move. They don't seem fazed. It scares me just a little bit, but I know what I'm doing. I don't want to do this anymore.

I'm not a spy. I'm not a killer. I'm not an infiltrator. I'm not what they're trying to mold me into.

I'm a girl. I have feelings. I have a soul. I have friends. I have a life. I am someone.

My bow is gone. I'm walking through the group of killers. They're all looking at me with disgust. They know I can't be tamed. They want to say the same about themselves, but they're still following the rules, following the Shadows. For some reason, I feel a weight lifted off my shoulders. It's like my burden is gone. The assignment is over. I'm done.

I want to go back to Mount Justice. I want to tell them who I am. I want them to know. I want to be accepted because I'm someone they could consider a friend. I want to be part of that team because I belong there, not because the Shadows want an informant or because Batman wants to keep an eye on me.

And a hand grips my shoulder. "You know what leaving means." His voice his harsh, ready to discipline me. His words are laced with a deeper meaning, one I don't want to interpret. The grip tightens in an almost painful way; I wince involuntarily. "You know you shouldn't leave."

"I don't have to listen to you." My voice sounds out of place, stronger than it should be. I'm an underdog here, I'm an underdog there, I'm always less than I should be, but I think I need to stand up for myself some time. That time might as well be now. I'll never get out of this unless I leave now. I have to leave. I can't live like this forever. I'm doomed to end by one of these daggers or arrows or bombs or claws, but I'm not afraid. I'm willing to suck it up and leave and die a free girl rather than be trapped under a shadow. "I don't have to be here. No one can make me stay. You can only kill me."

A fist collides with the back of my head and I know who it was without even having to think. I reach for my bow only to remember that I left it behind. I can't have it back. I can't. I'm done. I give up. No more. No more.

I'm sprawled out on the floor from the blow. It hurts. I feel this searing pain in my head like something just exploded inside my skull but I can tell that it's not going away anytime soon. I don't look up. I don't want to see how angry he is with me. I don't want to go back. I know the consequences, but I think I'd rather face them than deal with being under the Shadows' thumb. I won't be a tool. Not anymore.

"Remember who you are, Artemis." A foot rolls me over so that the light is shining on my face again, the shadows lingering on his. "Remember that we made you. Remember that we can break you." I can't see behind the mask, but I can imagine the snarling lips and the disgust at me being related to him.

"I'd spit at you, but gravity doesn't work that way." I try to push myself up off the ground, looking at my broken bow a few feet away. I don't stand a chance without it, but maybe if I can get to safety enough to call Batman or Green Arrow…

My legs curl under me and I'm about to stand up when another foot delivers a kick to my ankle and I'm off balance and against the ground again. There's a short, quiet laugh that sounds a bit like a purr. "I really hope Ra's will choose me to be your savior," came Cheshire's voice from over me as I look up into the mask that shields her smile. "It'd be fun to toy with you. Continue our game from before, don't you agree?"

I've had those dreams everyone I know is in it and their trying to kill me; this was like that except for the dream part. And the team wasn't trying to kill me, that was good. But after this, they might. I don't know. They probably wouldn't take lightly to having a traitor in their midst. I know I wouldn't. "Let me leave and I won't tell them anything." I'm trying to bargain for my life. Information for my life. Well, the information would still be safe if they killed me. Either way, I don't think I'm getting out. Actually, I know I'm not getting out. And even if I do, my death sentence has already been said in the silence of the shadows.

"Artemis, that's not how this works." My father's watching me with those eyes behind that mask and I know he won't hold anyone back from killing me. I can already hear Cheshire's finger's tightening on the grips of her sais. "You know you aren't getting away."

"At least I won't die a traitor." I'm so glad that I know at little bit of hand-to-hand combat. I just don't want to die knowing that I betrayed my friends. My _real_ friends. And maybe after I'm dead, they'll know that I was killed while trying to quit. Like trying to quit drugs, there's always the possibility of dying. And I died trying to at least save them just a little bit. Maybe I bought them a few more days or a few more hours or maybe even a moment to say goodbye, but I was willing to do it. Friends against family. "At least I won't have to see any of you ever again."

Cheshire's weapons were drawn from their sheathes.

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><p><strong>AN: Next chapter is already planned out. This one actually took me a week or so to finish. And I'll let you figure out that ambiguous ending on your own. Reviews are great.**

**~Sky**


	4. Stronger

**A/N: I had this one in my head and I started it yesterday, finished it today, and I'm already thinking about which song I want to do next. I just think this really defines what the difference is between her past life as an assassin and this life as a hero. So here's this chapter of "Who I Am".**

**Disclaimer: Don't own the song or the characters. So I don't own anything.**

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><p><em><span>Stronger (Back on the Ground)<span>_

All I remember is that Robin was somewhere up in the rafters, Wally was zipping around and knocking people down, and Aqualad was in the middle of some fierce hand-to-hand combat with an attacker. So I'd decided to lend him a hand. I put an arrow against the string and shot it to try and help Kaldur out a little bit.

Instead, that arrow buzzed right between the two and hit an already problematic support beam. Right in a weak spot. It's one of those moments when you just think "Really? Seriously? What are the odds of that ever happening in a million years?"

The support beam crumbled down and ripped down a few rafters and other beams and then the whole ceiling was crashing down and-

I'm buried in an avalanche of steel and concrete.

I always knew I was going to die. I mean, we're all going to die eventually. I just didn't think I'd die today. Tomorrow, maybe. The next day, sure, why not? But you never wake up and think, "Hey, wait, what if I die today?"

One of my hands is pinned to the floor. I know I'm bleeding. I can feel it. I think something got jabbed through my palm. I'm not sure. I can't see it. It's too dark. There's one little tendril of light sneaking in and it's only enough to tell that it's daylight. Our mission started at around two A.M. and dawn is at about five so I've been under here for about two hours if the flight took half an hour and we were fighting for an approximate twenty minutes... I'm not sure.

My leg is on fire; not literally, but it feels like it. All I know is that it's sharp, raw pain that's shooting up my leg. It hurts like crazy, but it's kind of in the background now. I'm more worried about no one coming to find me. I haven't heard anything since I got trapped. It's been this eerie silence. Like prison. Cold stone walls, no windows, just cold, empty, lonely, cold, silent. Prison. Yes, I've been there. It's not a fun place.

I've only got two limbs I can move and even then they're still pinned down. I'm lucky I've just got a bunch of scrapes and bruises. Maybe a busted rib, but I've dealt with much worse. Being buried alive gives you a better chance than a bullet to the chest does, lemme tell ya.

I guess I just don't want to die alone.

Maybe I secretly crave human interaction and the love of friends and family that I've never had before. Maybe I want to know that my body'll be found and placed somewhere with a name and a marker instead of under a mountain of concrete. Maybe if I die here, I'll be forgotten and all the people I killed will be avenged.

Or I'll die here and be forgotten by everyone and everyone won't be avenged and I'll just be dead.

Life kind of sucks.

The light isn't getting any brighter. The silence is just getting creepier.

I wonder if anyone else is dead. I know Robin was up in the rafters. He might've fallen. Wally was- Well, I don't actually know where Wally was. He's a little too fast for me to tell. Kaldur, hopefully, got away alright. I don't know if I helped or if I killed him. And Meg and Superboy weren't even in the room, so I guess they're safe. Unless I brought the whole building down.

What are the odds of me hitting that exact point? Really? Seriously? I could've brought a whole building down with one shot from an arrow. God, this sucks.

Cold, deadly silence.

I'm contemplating singing.

I'm completely against the idea.

Do I scream for help? Is anyone alive? Does anyone want to look for me? What if I run out of air? What if no one looks for me? What if I rot here? I'm probably going to die, aren't I? Damn it.

I'm lucky I'm in a little cavity of the rubble. There's enough space for me to wiggle and move to a certain extent with my leg and hand pinned. But I'm not strong enough to move anything without full mobility and that won't happen unless I pull my hand out, but something's still stabbed into it. I don't want to pull my hand off. I won't cut it off either. I still need that. And my leg's stuck. I'm definitely not getting that out any time soon. Rocks are shifting all around me. I'm almost waiting for a cave-in. That'd suck. I think I'd rather die of lack of air. Rock avalanches aren't really my thing.

I'm thinking about things. There's a lot to think about, really. The future. The one that might not exist. My life. The people I've killed. My father. The things I've done. The way I wish it had all turned out. Maybe I could've had a family one day. That wasn't involved with assassins and superheroes.

Pipe-dreams.

"Artemis!"

The rocks shift heavily overhead. I swear, I'm going to get crushed. I swear, I'm going to die. Everything's just going to collapse on me and I'll be a bloody wreck when and if anyone finds me and this'll be my unmarked grave, no name, no date, just a goddamn body covered in nasty blood and-

"Wally?"

How did I completely miss that?

"Can you hear us?" calls Robin from wherever he is outside of the concrete and steel walls that serve as my prison. "Artemis, are you in there?"

"Get me out!" God, I just want out. I don't want to die. I don't want to die, not today, not yet, not yet. "I'm in here!" Maybe they can hear me. Can they hear me? What if I yell loude-

Megan. "She's in there!" And the rocks all around me started vibrating.

Shit shit shit shit, I'm gonna die.

A few rocks are pulled away and fresh air seeps in through new cracks and more sunlight is finding its way to me. I can see in front of my face now. I can see I'm sitting in a pool of my own blood. Everything is stained crimson.

I see fingers picking up a rock near my knee. I cringe away from the light. It hurts. A lot. And Superboy pulls away the massive stone to shed a little light into my cell. "Here," he says bluntly before reaching for another stone and heaving it away from me. Kaldur's pulling another rock away from my leg as Meg's trying to get them all from around me so the guys have room to work.

Robin's the first one on me, gauze in hand. "What's bleeding?" His eyes are serious and I can tell that he genuinely cares for my well-being, that he's trying to take care of me.

I think it's the first time someone's ever done that for me.

"My leg," I say with a little glance at the heavy stone that's still got my appendage pinned, "and my hand."

"Supes, Aqualad, over here." He flicks his finger at both rocks that I indicated and the older boys automatically pull them away at his command. They continue to work at the mountain of rubble with M'gann helping.

"What happened?" asks Wally, appearing practically out of nowhere to kneel by my side. "The whole building came down and we went to deal with Luthor and you weren't there."

"I'm kind of trapped, Flashboy," I snap, the retort at the end coming out as a gasp of pain as my hand is pulled out of the dirt by Robin so he can wrap it up and take care of it the way only he would know how. "I couldn't get out. My arrow took down the building, it was completely my fault." And I hated saying that, especially to him, of all people.

"It's a group effort," says Robin, never looking away from his work. Or at least his head didn't move. I couldn't see his eyes behind the domino mask. "You may have jacked it up, but you can't take the fall."

"We should've been helping Kal as much as you were trying to. No biggie." Wally was watching me with concerned eyes. I could see them through the holes in his mask. "It's a team effort. Not to mention the fact that we should've been here sooner for you."

Another gasp of pain escapes me as Robin's looking over my leg, poking and prodding at it almost curiously. He takes his sweet time in wrapping it up with the gauze. "You had a mission, I had my punishment. No problem." I'm trying to ignore how close he is to me. The pain in my leg is really helping with that distraction. "Did we get Luthor?"

"Do you _think_we got Luthor?" came Superboy's snort of disgust.

"He escaped," sighs Miss Martian from her position where she's floating in the air, "like he always does. Just before anyone can catch him." Her voice is exasperated.

We've been trying to catch the damn guy for months now. He's a pain in our asses, so I get why even Megan's getting pissed off about it. I'm pissed too! Although I think Superboy's got it the worst: he really wants to impress Superman by catching Luthor.

Robin clears his throat and tapes off the gauze. It's already staunched with my blood, but it'll do for the ride back to Mount Justice. "Anyways, we're glad you're alive, and, you know, not dead."

"Yeah." Wally gingerly reaches out to take my hand. His other arm is curving to hold my legs so he can carry me back to the bioship. "It's a good thing you didn't get yourself killed."

I let out a little fake laugh. "Whatever doesn't kill you only makes you stronger, right?" I put my arms around his neck to hold on for the run. And for some reason, just knowing that I have these friends me feel stronger. Because people actually care about me for once. And it feels good.

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><p><strong>AN: Reviews are welcomed!**

**~Sky**


	5. Last Time Around

**A/N: Yes, yes, I'm having difficulties with this one. And I am following the song a bit more than I'd like, but it's the thought of what's in the song that matters. This one is to "Last Time Around" by Nick Jonas and the Administration. The song is one of my personal favorites on the album besides "Vesper's Goodbye" and "In The End".**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice nor the songs mentioned above; they are purely for inspiration purposes. I am making no profit off of any of this.**

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><p><em><span>Last Time Around<span>_

"You cut your hair."

I cannot believe that's the first thing he says.

We haven't seen each other for a year. Last summer was the last time I saw him. He was finding out what I did. And then I disappeared into the shadows like I'd been trained to do, letting go of the people I called my friends, relinquishing my hold on a normal life.

My bow's still pointing an arrow at him, but I can think about what my hair looks like. I chopped it up a few weeks ago. Short in the back, long in the front, still blonde, still normal. Just shorter.

"Yeah."

I almost feel stupid. That's the first thing I said to him after a year of not seeing each other.

I'm standing up in the rafters, shadows hiding most of me. There's light on my eyes, but it's hard to keep in the light and I'm hard to see. Going back to wearing black was the best idea I've had in a long time. Shadows are now my friends again.

He's on the ground looking up at me with almost heartbroken eyes. I know how sad he looks. Pitiful, absolutely pitiful. Completely pitiful. If I were closer, I could imagine seeing all the hurt in his eyes at me abandoning him; no, not just the team, I abandoned _him_. Because we meant something to each other. For a little while, at least. And me leaving out of the blue didn't help matters any.

"I almost asked for your name," he says with a faint smile lingering on his lips. I can read it. He's sad. Not depressed, not upset, just sad. Very sad. "Didn't know it was you for a few seconds there." I can imagine those sad green eyes...

"Can't your remember anything, Kid Mouth?" I didn't want to insult him, but I had to. It makes me feel better. I don't want to be in this position any more than he does. I'm supposed to be fighting him, and instead we're having a stare down with sad eyes and I'm not even trying to hurt him. I should be. So I aim the arrow and let it rip.

He doesn't move.

And just as I aimed it, it slams into the floor right beside him, narrowly missing his foot. The metal head slices through the solid concrete slab of floor.

"I remember that you don't have the heart to kill me." He's still not running, still not moving. Why won't he just leave me alone? Really, I don't need to deal with this right now... I just need to keep moving. We have to forget what happened and focus on who we are now. I need to focus on who I am. I can't fail, and I can't turn back. "I remember that you love me."

Why did he have to play that card? Anything else and I probably would've had the heart to stick an arrow in him, but not that. You can't beat the "you love me" schtick. You can't. Physically impossible. It tugs on the heartstrings and plays them like a harp. Damn it.

"I remember who you used to be."

Of course. Just great. Just perfect.

"And I remember that you love me. Said you always would."

Damn it. Damn him. Damn the world, for that matter. I mean, can't I just get a break? I'm assigned to fight him (to the death) and he just decides to stare at me. Stare. Like he knows I won't kill him. Because he does know, really. Because every time I wanted to kill him in a fight before, I didn't.

We always used to be at each others' throats. Now it's just a dull roar. Now we know. Especially now that I'm a Shadow operative again.

And I never could bring myself to kill him when I always said I would.

And I did say I always would.

Damn me and all my stupid talking. Too many words and things spill out. Like being an assassin. And being a traitor. And being hurt. And, you know, never wanting to kill him.

Because I don't want to kill him. I love him. Still. Even after all the shit we've been through, I still can't give up on him. He's too… He's too good. He's too innocent, too sweet, too much.

I know his life story. Abuse and all.

He knows… none of mine. Until now. I'm an assassin, how's that for details?

He's still just staring up at me like I'm going to say something. But I'm keeping my big fat mouth shut because I don't want to say anything else stupid. He already knows my weakness: love, comfort, friendship, a lot of the things that the Shadows can't offer. We're killers, not buddy-buddy people.

"Artemis, come on, we don't want to do this." He takes one step forward.

I refocus my aim and have it on the floor just behind his head. I'm hoping that maybe I can just scare him off and fetch the arrows later. I don't want to kill him and I'm pretty sure he doesn't want to kill me; for one, it's against the Justice League's rules, and for two, I can tell that he still loves me. "Stay back." The arrow is pulled back, the string taut and dangerous. "I don't want to do this."

"I know you don't." He takes another step. "Just end this now." His voice is soft and gentle. He's pleading, almost begging. I can't even fathom how much he wants this. I want to go back too, but I know I can't. I have to stay with the Shadows or else Il'l have my head on a silver platter and delivered to Ra's before morning.

"Wally West…"

"Artemis Crock," he counters, voice mimicking mine and failing at it.

I pause. Because I'm not going to kill him, he's not going to kill me, and talking all this over will probably end up with me doing something I'll regret in a few hours. So I try and step back into the darkness, making my terrible attempt at disappearing. "Let's make a compromise," I breathe, knowing he can hear me. The whole place is echoing all of our words all around.

"But-" He's protesting and I know he wants so badly for me to go with him, to go back to the League, not just because I have Shadow secrets and information, but because I can be with him again. He's so desperate that it's almost pitiful. He is pitiful. So pitiful that I want to go down there and kiss him.

But I won't.

"I am going to go back to the Shadows and you will go back to the League." I put the arrow back in its quiver, feeling my fingers shaking. I don't want him to go. I don't want to go. "I was supposed to kill you, but I won't."

"I was supposed to capture you." He's still staring up at me. I'm too far away to see his innocent green eyes, but I can imagine that they're hardening, trying to make him stronger for the rejection he knows is coming. "But I won't."

"I'll go back to the Shadows and tell them that you got away. You're Kid Flash, so it couldn't be too hard for them to believe."

He let out a short little sigh, one that showed how stubborn he was to go along with this plan, but it also told me that he was going to go through with it anyways. "And I'm going back to the League and telling them that you knocked me unconscious and got away."

It hurt to hear him sound so pitiful. God, I just wanted to go down there and grab him and hold him like I used to be able to. Because I still care and it's obvious that he does too. "Good."

"Good."

He's quiet. I'm quiet.

"Wally?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry for leaving."

His response is delayed, but he says, "I'm sorry too."

And in a heartbeat, he's gone, a blur in the place where he stood only moments ago.

I put my bow down and let out a sigh before leaping down from the rafters, landing like a cat. If only this were the last time I'd see him. Next time, maybe it won't be so easy.

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><p><strong>AN: The theme of the song is more relationship based, but I twisted it a bit to my own liking. Anyways, reviews are good, thanks for reading, adios!**

**~Sky**


	6. Conspiracy Theory

**A/N: Trying to get this series wrapped up. This one's a bit choppy, but I like the way it fits in with the song a little bit. This song is "Conspiracy Theory". So here's this:**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything at all. Song is by NJATA.**

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><p><em>Conspiracy Theory<em>

So this was it. Serious team meeting. And what does Kaldur say?

"The League of Shadows has a spy within our team."

Wally's the first to stand beside me and laugh his head off, keeled over and holding his stomach like his guts are going to burst out if he laughs any harder. And no one else is talking. So when Wally gets quiet and wipes a few tears away from his eyes to see all of us staring at him he asks, "Seriously? It isn't some ridiculous conspiracy theory?"

"I am not joking."

And with Kaldur talking, even I'm afraid. Because that means Batman knows. And he also knows who I am. That my dad is a Shadows operative, that I was too, once upon a time. He knows that I'm a risk, but he put his money on me and now I'll bet he's regretting it.

"Sportsmaster and Cheshire tipped me some good information that they've got someone inside our ranks." Red Arrow steps out of the shadows in his mysterious way; I can feel his eyes on me from behind that damn domino mask. "Which means there's a mole."

I already know it's not me. It's not me. I swear it's not me. It's not me. It can't be me. It's not me. It's not me. I swear. It's not me.

But I can't say any of that out loud.

"So who is it?" Robin speaks up from the other side of Superboy, suddenly looking smaller next to the clone even though we all know which one would win in a battle.

That's when Roy looks to the floor and shuffles his feet a little bit. Aqualad says, "We do not know, but a few members of the League are looking into it." His voice is strong, patient. It's almost like he knows. His silver eyes are scanning our ranks, me standing next to Wally, M'gann on the other side of him, Superboy to my right, the little bird next to him. Then there's Kaldur, the innocent one, standing there and looking at us like we're the culprits, every single one of us. I think I feel his stare harden as he looks at me.

I just want to scream, "I swear it's not me!" Because it isn't. I'm not the mole. I'm not a spy. It's not me. But I don't say anything.

"Now what are we supposed to do?" asks Superboy, arms folding across his chest, face still locked in that permanent scowl. "Go back to our ordinary lives?"

"Yes."

And that was that. Kaldur just walked off with Roy by his side, the two avidly talking; I saw Roy throw a glance my way, the asshole.

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><p>"So who do you think it is?"<p>

I look over from watching an episode of "Doctor Who" to see Robin sitting there like he has been all along. We've both got our own bowls of popcorn and the sleeping form of Wally is wedged between us, his arm draped over the back of my side of the couch. A little drool is slipping out of the corner of his mouth. "What?"

"The mole." He's throwing the topic around so nonchalantly, like it doesn't mean anything, like it doesn't put him at risk. I already know that I'm at risk. I'm the first target. I know this. "What's your bet?"

I have my suspicions, but I never feel the need to voice them aloud. Why Robin would, I have no idea. The walls are thin and if suspicion gets out, well... A friend may strand you on the battlefield. "I don't know." But I think I do know.

He's quiet for a long moment. He picks an extra buttery piece of popcorn from the bowl and pops it in his mouth. "Do you trust me?"

I really don't know how to answer that one. Because I sort of do. I don't know his name, I don't know who he is, I just know that he's Robin and that he's Batman's son and that he's a good kid and that he's allergic to blueberries. That's all I know. But I still trust him. "Yeah."

There's another long moment of silence and his eyes are looking back at the tv, his head turned fully towards it once more. "I trust you, Artemis."

He sounds sincere.

But I'm not completely sure.

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><p>So Wally and I have been going out for about two months now and he's got his head in my lap and he's staring up and the ceiling like a complete moron. And he asks bluntly, "You're not the infiltrator, are you?"<p>

It's out of nowhere and so sudden that I give him a quick smack on the head and say, "Are you accusing me?" Because I'm offended. I trust him. I know he's not the traitor. He's not smart enough. And he laughed too hard at the thought of it. He's not a good enough actor to pull that off. He's definitely not good enough to do that.

His face turns to dread. "No, no!" He's sitting upright in a heartbeat and turning to face me once more. "It's not that, it's just that I feel better asking." His face is guilty, and I can read it. He's nervous now because he doesn't want me mad at him. "I don't know much about you, you know? I just wanted to make sure."

I'm still offended and I know my face is flushed red, but I don't care. I'm still scared shitless that Batman'll call me out one day and make everyone think it's me. But it's not me. It's not. I am not a traitor. I am not the spy.

"I trust you, Artemis, you know that." He's trying to sweet talk his way back in, but I push him away. I'm not dealing with his crap today. "I was just asking. Don't hate me."

I pretty much always hate him, so why's today any different? Just because we're together doesn't mean he doesn't constantly piss me off.

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><p>"Artemis." Batman's voice scares me at first, but he's quick to make clear what he needs. There's a file in his hand and he's holding it out to me. An assignment.<p>

"What do you need?" I ask, taking the file and waiting for further instructions. No one else is around, so I think I can safely assume they're not supposed to know about this. It's a mission, I can see that. The tab on the manila folder is marked "Top Secret" like most Justice League things are.

"The League has reluctantly agreed to let you do this for us. To make you realize what being part of this team truly means." He gives only the slightest nod at the folder in my hands. "There is your target. Do it quickly, swiftly, and efficiently." His voice is gruff as ever. "You have the assassin experiences, and I expect you to deal with this before any other information can leak, understand?"

So it's the mole. I'm going to kill the mole. The Justice League trusts me. They know I'm not the mole. So who i- I'm opening the file, unable to resist. Familiar eyes stare out at me. "I understand."

I knew it. I was right.

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><p><strong>AN: I have a new theory on the infiltrator of the team, but that doesn't let me stray from my first thought. They actually work well together, really. Review?**

**~Sky**


	7. State of Emergency

**A/N: I had to do something overly fluffy for this. I really should've used this song for something else, but I didn't. Shame on me. So now I kind of downed myself a song that I really needed, but I'm not going back now. I incorporated too many little lines here and there to switch songs.**

**Sidenote: This is not at all related to the last chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the inspiration nor do I own any of the characters.**

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><p><em>State of Emergency<em>

I think that this is the first time I've ever been able to really open up. To anyone.

And I never, never in a million years, would've thought I'd be opening up to Wally. Wally Rudolph West. The guy I used to hate. The guy I'm now completely in love with.

Fuck the world.

He's got his arms around me and I'm being curled into his chest tightly. He smells like bacon. It's weird but fitting, and I like the smell of bacon so there's no complaints here. He's got one hand running through my blonde hair that he's pulled out of the usual ponytail. "Artemis," he says quietly.

"Wally." Because I don't know what he wants and the usual response for not knowing what someone wants is just saying their name right back at them like it means something.

I really don't know what the Hell I think I'm doing. I shouldn't be in love. I'm supposed to be killing him. My dad told me to kill him forever ago... I was supposed to put an arrow through his skull and be done with it all... That didn't happen, this did, now I'm in some serious trouble. Where do I start? Man, I screwed up so bad.

"Artemis," he says again, still playing with my hair as he stares out at the water. We're sitting out on the back porch of the headquarters, just the two of us. Megan and Conner left hours ago. Robin's never around because he's got too much homework or he's too busy with the whole Dynamic Duo thing. And Kaldur's in the ocean; there's never a need for him to come back to Mount Justice. Wally's only here when I'm here.

I sigh and reply, "Wally." It's a game we play. No words, just names, back and forth, rally scoring. The less we talk, the more in love we are. The more we talk, the more chances of saying stupid stuff. Like the ninja boyfriend thing in Bialya. Or other stupid stuff.

We really shouldn't be doing this. I should be killing him. Dad's orders are supposed to come before all else. Now isn't the time for getting cozy with my target. I need to leave him. I need to leave the team. His chest is so warm... Just sitting with him is like a piece of Heaven... I shouldn't be doing this. This is so wrong...

I don't know how this happened. Was I seductive? No. Was I trying? No. Apparently, I'm good enough to drive saints to Hell. He used to love Meg, now he's falling over me... Completely falling over me, everything about him, totally in love, you can see it in his eyes; he's screwed because something this good can never last... I'm just screwing him over. I have to let go eventually and get back to the job. I'll have to kill him sooner or later.

But I'd really prefer later.

His hands have moved from my hair to my face and he's tilting my head so I'm staring up into those perfect green eyes, the ones that are supposed to be glazed over and dead. Dammit. And he pulls me closer until our lips touch.

He's supposed to be dead. I'm not supposed to love him. I'm not supposed to care. Why did I start this?

I give into that urge and let him pull me closer so that our bodies are intertwined as one. He keeps kissing me.

He's supposed to be dead, goddamn it.

His lips are soft. He's making sure to pull me close, his hand in the small of my back. I'm not going anywhere. He won't let me, I know. He loves me. This is real love. This is so real that it physically hurts. He keeps kissing me. Love. This is love.

This is what love is.

He's supposed to be dead, dammit.

I'm losing myself. Slowly but surely, I'm losing myself. I'm losing the inner assassin. I'm losing faith. I'm losing heart. I'm falling in love. I'm losing everything that Artemis ever was. I'm someone new now. Someone who needs this team and this love to exist.

I should've killed him the first time.

His other hand is weaving back up into my hair. I feel him trying to slip his tongue into my mouth and I let him. The primal urge is to let him have anything he wants. I have my limits, but that doesn't mean I won't lose myself to him. This is the first time I've ever truly felt love. I love him. Too much.

Now we've hit the point of no return, a state of emergency.

I should've killed him the first time.

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><p><strong>AN: Review?**

**~Sky**

**P.S. Yeah, I'll give you my theory from the last chapter.  
><strong>**Just not today.**


	8. Tonight

**A/N: Another installment that I've been working on with my iTouch while everything else is getting done on a computer XP Slow but steady, that's me.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything at all.**

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><p><em>Tonight<em>

Wally and I go back and forth like this all the time, no one ever winning. I get so sick of this I can't even stand it anymore. He chews me out for everything, and everyone else always tries to defend me even when they have no right to. They don't know what the heart of the issue is. Wally just hates me. He does, I know it, he told me. I just don't hate him back. Not enough, anyways.

Tonight, it's not like every other fight.

"Why don't you tell us these things?"

"You don't need to know."

We're both screaming at each other. Superboy's on the other side of the room doing the best he can to tune us out. Wally's all up in my face, I just want to slap him, he's acting like such a jerk right now...

"You're supposed to be our teammate!"

"I wasn't supposed to be here in the first place!"

There are a lot of things I can't tell him. They know now that I was a Shadows assassin. That's what I'm getting yelled at for today. He found out, he's mad I didn't tell him, he's yelling a lot because I should've told him. There are a lot of things I should tell him. Like how I was supposed to kill him. Like how I'm not going to kill him. Why do I feel the need to kill him right now? I'm not going to, but still…

"Yeah, because you were supposed to be out there murdering people!"

"I'm not doing that anymore!"

"Anymore?" He's glaring like crazy, he hates me, he hates ms so much that it's radiating off of him. He's radiating hatred. "You can't just clean the slate like that!"

"You wanna bet?"

I half reach for my bow and it only takes a heartbeat for one of Robin's birdarangs to slice my wrist open in an attempt to stop my hand from reaching my weapons. Even from behind the mask, I can feel his eyes boring holes through me, blazing with fury and sadness.

I betrayed them all. Yeah, I feel terrible about it, but I can't change what I've done, I can only change what I'm going to do. I can't change the past. If I could, I'd take it all back without a second thought. No, I wouldn't have gotten on this team but I'd sure as Hell be saved all the trouble I'm in right now and I'll say that's my end goal.

I touch my fingers to my wrist to feel the red blood bubbling out of my veins. I look to Robin who's watching me passively as Megan's already levitating towels on over to help staunch the bloodflow, her green form coming closer to help.

I want to think that Robin didn't mean to do it. But he's Robin. Robin doesn't make mistakes.

"Guys," I say as M'gann's wrapping a towel around my arm that's immediately being stained scarlet, "I wasn't even supposed to be here in the first place, okay?" I sound desperate, like I need their approval. I don't want to leave this team. This is home now. A place where I can be Artemis the Heroine rather than Artemis Crock, the crazy guy's daughter with the disabled mom and the bad grades. I prefer the former. I don't deserve to be labeled by my family. "I was supposed to kill Wally, that was all. I got caught and I'm here now." I look down at the blood.

Damn birds.

"Wait," Wally says as he pinches the bridge of his freckled nose, "you were sent to kill me? I thought that was just a memory lapse thing in-"

"Bialya." I wince as Meg begins to untie the makeshift bandage and tie another one on. Clearly she isn't familiar with treating wounds. That's not how you do it. Peeling it off irritates the injury and coaxes it into bleeding more. Honestly, I'm better off taking care of myself. Seriously. "No, it was real. I just didn't know it, I'm sorry." I focus on him again, staring into those... pitiful green eyes. Why does he look so sad about it? Not like it matters. He's still alive. "I missed, remember?"

I can see him going through his mental banks as Robin comes in to take care of my slit wrist, gently nodding to Miss M to tell her that he's got it covered. He knows Megan isn't doing it right so he figures he might as well patch me up himself. Wally finally comes to the conclusion. "You saved me instead of killing me."

"Stupid luck," I breathe, trying to sound a little bit glad about it. I save his life, he hates me, I don't get it. "Complete accident. You should be praising that 'souvenir' of yours and making a shrine to it. That was supposed to go straight through your skull." I remember taking aim at that patch of ginger hair that stuck out of the mask he wore and imagining how it would slam into the back of his head before coming out through his forehead with a trickle of crimson blood. Shot it and missed because Amazo was trying to avoid dying.

He puts a finger to the back of his head quietly, jaw going a little slack.

"Is the screaming over?" asked Superboy, tentatively coming closer again now that it's quiet on this side of the room.

"Yes, Superboy," says Megan while putting a gentle hand on his shoulder and leaning into him a little bit.

They just sicken me.

Robin wraps a third towel around my arm. "Kaldur's gonna have to decide what we'll do with you, but I trust you if you say you're not talking with them anymore." He sounds sincere even though he's not looking at me. He's patching me up and doing what he can to repair the damage done.

M'gann is the next to step up and agree. "I trust you as well. You've never put us in any harm since you've joined and there's reason for us to stop being teammates."

Wordlessly, Superboy expresses his agreement with a curt nod, blue eyes saying nothing.

Some part of me feels like this is perfect. Forgiven, in a sense, by three out of five. I feel bad for having to say something, but I look to Wally who's still got a few fingers pressed into the back of his head as if envisioning the last moment of his life. His mouth is hanging open a little bit. "Wally?"

His jade eyes find me. "You tried to kill me."

"I won't do it again." I didn't need to. I wouldn't. He was a friend now, a teammate at the least. I trusted him with my life on a daily basis, and I hoped he could trust me with his. "I'm not working with them anymore."

The reluctant is evident in his voice as he finally gives in. "Alright." His hand moves away from the back of his head, and his thumbs go in his pockets. "I trust you."

I still couldn't help but notice Robin trying to discreetly carry away my bow and quiver as he left with Batman. I didn't stop him.

It was proof he didn't trust me.

None of them did.

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><p><strong>AN: Next one is already partially written. It has my theory. Then there's one final chapter after that and then that's the end of this story. For more pertaining to some of these one-shots, go on over to my other story "Her Cheshire Smile" for some bonus theories. Reviews make me post faster.**

**~Sky**


	9. Olive & An Arrow

**A/N: Here's the theory chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own.**

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><p><em><span>Olive &amp; An Arrow<span>_

There's a flash of silver in the shadows. A dark form is moving along the wall, body nearly invisible. I'm glad my dad trained me to hunt humans. I almost feel like I should be in that "The Most Dangerous Game" story that we read in English class last year.

An arrow is nocked in my bow, set perfectly in the groove, tip just waiting to maim my target as soon as he comes into the light. Just have to wait.

I almost feel like it's wrong for me to have to kill my own teammate. But he wasn't honest with us. He was playing them all before he even knew me.

Another flash of silver caught my eye. Thank God for the little slivers of moonlight that are seeping in through cracks and crevices. If if weren't for that little bit of light, I wouldn't even be able to see my target.

He doesn't even know I'm here. I smirk to myself and watch for the next flash of silver along the wall, waiting for sight of my target so I know it's safe to release the arrow.

And instead of silver, I see a glint of light reflecting off of blue.

Blue.

Water. Moving.

I turn only to find the other waterbearer's blade at my neck as the first snakes through the rest of the building, that glint of blue returning to meet me, another weapon of my demise. Not like I haven't seen enough of those in one week.

My arrow is at his gilled throat, his watery sword pressed to my neck.

"I'm almost wondering if this is a fair fight," I breathe, finding it hard to do so while trying not to get that smooth, sharp edge jabbed through my skin. My voice sounds a little weak and a little breathy, but I hope he can't hear it.

Kaldur watches me with those fierce silver eyes. "As am I."

When I got the assignment, I was almost surprised, but the pieces fit in. He had to have known about the mole before the rest of us, yet he said nothing? And he was never with us. He was always in Atlantis with his king. No one there could properly keep an eye on him; he was Aqualad for crying out loud. And from the gist of Wally and Robin's explanation of the team's formation, Kaldur was the only one of the three to be reluctant about going to Cadmus and proving themselves. Maybe he knew.

"Think we should do a rematch?" I smirk as my finger tightens on the feathered end of the arrow that impatiently waits for me to release so it can drive home and kill him. "This isn't a good way to start this sort of fun."

Why does it feel like I'm talking like Cheshire would?

He doesn't back away and instead gently runs his blade across the soft flesh at my neck, beads of red blood trickling down my skin.

I move one leg and wrap the tip of my shoe around his ankle and pull. The blade he has goes soft- water. He's off balance.

I'm flipping down out of the rafters, off of the catwalk, and down into the darkness where I know I can safely hide. And if I'm not completely safe, I know I'm close enough to safe. Better than having a sword stabbing into your neck.

It could be worse- the blood, I mean. My uniform's got a little bit of Kevlar around the neck specifically for these purposes. It wasn't strong enough to protect me completely, but it sure as Hell kept me from dying. I'm still pissed though because I'm vulnerable, I'm losing blood, and my uniform is going to have blood stains on it. That's just peachy.

Silver flashes to my left while blue passes to my right and ahead. It's hard to tell what's what because there are so many places for him to be at once with those waterbearers... They'll be the death of me if I don't kill him first.

"Come on, Kaldur." I keep my arrow nocked tight so it'll hit and kill him upon release. "Let's fight like men." I know I'm not a man, but I can fight most full-grown baddies. Bane. Ra's. My father. "I have homework to do once you're dead."

The silver and blue are flashing everywhere now, black shadows and forms moving through the darkness as if there's more than just Kaldur hanging around. And if there's more than just him, well... Let's just say things won't end well for me.

I have to take my chances. I fire of an arrow just ahead of all the moving shadows, using physics to calculate and the natural feel of the bow in my hands to guide.

I do hit him. In the arm. And it doesn't go far enough into his arm to pierce his heart.

Dammit.

He's still moving, but I can hear his footsteps now as my senses are acutely aware of his exact position as he circles from the shadows, not yet striking as the cobra always does. So I hit him again, this arrow with a heavier head for more force. If hits him a little lower: in the side. I could hear him fall this time, his body slamming into the ground with a heavy thud as I'd struck something vital. Something that could snatch the life right out of him.

I can still hear him breathing. He's not dead yet.

I move a little bit closer with an arrow already nocked and ready for fire as soon as he tried to attack again. I wanted an explanation for this one.

The file I'd gotten from Batman had his heritage on it, son of Black Manta. I wouldn't judge. I had Sportsmaster. What was the difference? And his whole "How I Became Aqualad" story. It was very anti-climactic. And then how he'd been talking with Ra's on identities and specific moves and abilities... It had very few details but plenty of evidence so the Justice League knew where to pin the blame.

He's speaking in Atlantean, and I can only figure that he's praying or something. Maybe threatening me, but he's staring at the rafters instead of at me. Kaldur doesn't even bother to look at me when he's finished saying his few words. He just looks at the tip of the arrow as if he's staring down the barrel of a gun and waits for me to end his suffering.

I do. My arrow drives straight through his chest.

I'm not a traitor. I don't tolerate traitors. He deserved to die. We can all make choices to define our lives. He chose wrong.

I hope he learned from his mistake.

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><p><strong>AN: There's more behind this theory, but too much thinking and not enough action would be… not action-y enough. For more details on why, I will refer you once more to my other story "Her Cheshire Smile". The… sixth chapter has theory details. Another thing I'll refer you to: Jimmy Candlestick's "Fragile Peace".**

**Anyways, review?**

**~Sky**


	10. Vesper's Goodbye

**A/N: The final chapter. Hope you guys enjoy. This song, I figured, was the best way to end this. Go ahead and read. Then be sad because this fic has ended.**

**Although I will say, if NJATA comes out with another album, expect more to this story. I follow the rumors and there's nothing in the works right now, sadly…**

**Disclaimer: Characters owned by DC, song by NJATA.**

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><p><em>Vesper's Goodbye<em>

They're all around me, lying there, motionless, not breathing, not speaking, bathing in pools of crimson blood, dead.

I only know to grab for them, to cling to them.

Conner is closest. I pull at his shirt, push on his chest, hope for those blue eyes to flutter open and for him to heave a gasping breath... He doesn't do any of that. He lies there quietly, the ocean of red growing around him, pooling along with those of the others. I shake him harder, tears pricking the corners of my eyes.

A vague memory presses into my mind. Him being thrown against a wall, a shaft of metal impaling him. Him trying to pull himself off of that. Then dragging himself back into the fight, a massive hole ripped through his chest, the emblem on that shirt completely shredded.

He doesn't look so super anymore... Not now that he's dead.

Kaldur's a few feet over. I crawl on my hands and knees over to him, air rasping down my throat as I try to swallow this sick feeling. I run my fingers over his raw gills, his still-warm body, that dark skin, those closed silver eyes. Damn him for dying. Damn fires. Damn fires everywhere. They're on the edge of my vision, blurry reds and oranges and yellows everywhere around me. The glow of the fire is everywhere.

The fire is what stole his life.

His hands are charred, ash clinging to his fingertips, soot beneath his nails. His whole body smells like smoke; his skin is darker than usual, died black like the night that swells around us- me. I'm the only one still here.

He's so warm... I feel like his pulse should be beating beneath my fingers as I feel his neck for any signs of life. There are none. He's dead. He's completely and utterly dead.

Dead.

My body's going numb, but I carry on. I push towards M'gann. Her red hair is matted and stained with the crimson blood all around her. Her body is broken and mangled, one arm broken in the wrong direction, her head twisted at an awkward angle, her right leg clearly shattered, destroyed beyond recognition, just blown to bits, a dirty green and red mess, the colors of Christmas.

Only it's not Christmas. There's fire around us, her skin withering away, peeling off like the skin of a snake. She's lying there, hopeless, defenseless, lost, dead, soul already carried away by the Reaper himself. She's gone.

She's probably the reason Conner suffered his own demise so soon. I can't help but glance back over at him, see that hole in his chest, and cringe away from the sight of that ripped shirt, red torn from black, black torn from red, everything dyed that heavy scarlet color, that shade of blood. He used to be so strong... Now to see his corpse lying there, surrounded by orange and yellow flames that threaten to lick closer and closer and closer...

I have to move on. It's all just... It's all so painful. This growing hole in my chest, much like the one in Conner's, wide, open, empty, deadly.

The pain is eating at my heart. It's killing me slowly, from the inside out. I wish I could be numb, but I feel my breath hot all around me, this air burning my skin, the pain eating away at my flesh and bones and heart and lungs...

They're all... They're all just... just dead...

Hauling myself over to Robin feels like it takes a lifetime. I can see that his cape's already been bitten and nipped at by hungry flames, edges singed and hot like burned paper. His little body is curled up in the fetal position, head tucked to his chest and knees, one hand pressed into the bullet wound that scored his side, the one that has pooled all this red around him, a lake of death. Death everywhere around him, sticking to his clothes, to his black hair, to his pale skin, to the corners of that mask... He's lying in his own death, air no longer passing his tender lips as he sleeps eternally now. He can't be held down by the human limitations now... Humanity isn't part of the baby bird's essence anymore.

I don't know how I notice these things. I don't know why it all seems so crystal clear, but it feels so surreal, like everything's coming into the sharpest focus, like those moments before death are going to pass me by before I can even properly feel life itself. Surreal as the world burns around me.

These people who changed me, those who shaped me into who I am...

The final body is holding onto his best friend, comforting the young acrobat. God, I want to cry. Tears sting my eyes, but they just won't fall. I feel so alone, surrounded by fire, surrounded by pain, being eaten alive by all this dark hurt... All this death...

Wally is clinging to Robin with a pitiful hand. His jade eyes are glazed over with a milky white film. His fingers are wrapped around his little friend's hand, trying to help, trying to comfort, trying to save his soul... His fiery hair holds particles of black soot in it, obsidian soot. His face is scarred with black lines, the marks where poison took its hold and didn't let go. Claw marks score his costume, the bright yellow torn to reveal bloodied skin, bruised skin, beaten skin, scarred skin.

I wish it were paint instead of blood. God, I wish it were paint... Painted red like a Native American warrior, a man going into battle, his goal to come out alive, back home to his friends and family...

I can't help but touch him. I run my fingers over the poisoned wounds, over the lightning bolt on his costume, through his spiky red hair, over his glassy eyes to shut them one last time, the emerald orbs disappearing forever beneath thin, pale lids.

"Artemis."

I jolt upright, arms immediately at his neck and clenching tight, threatening to tear the life right out of him. I feel my heart pounding, that pain still eating at my chest, raw and fierce, a starving tiger ready to shred my entire being.

Wally's looking down at me and already trying to pull my hands away from his throat. "Okay, this is what I get for helping," he notes, taking a quick look over at Robin who's just sitting there with his laptop, fingers paused over the keyboard. Wally pulls my hands away as I relinquish control of my fingers and give into the reality of the world around me.

There's no more fire, no more bodies, just teammates around me and the hustle and bustle of a normal day as the encompassing sound instead of the crackling blaze that eats away at buildings and corpses. There's the rustling of cookie trays in the kitchen and the grunts of fighting boys over by the training area. Another normal day. It's all around me, real and true.

"I told you she was having a nightmare," says Robin pointedly, his eyes quickly flickering back to his work behind the sunglasses. His fingers proceed with their keyboard tapping.

After sticking his tongue out at Robin in that kid-like fashion they both used with each other, Wally looks back to me with a little worry in those green eyes. The ones that had been glassy less than a minute ago, those that had held the look of Death... "Are you okay?"

I swallow hard, swallow down the pain, swallow the longing. "Yeah." I sit up and pull my legs up, hands going over my knees, body slouching forward, head going between my legs so I can focus without getting nauseous. This reality is easier. The air is cool. Other hearts are beating. I am not alone. I never fully appreciated having friends until now. Friends who wake you up from nightmares, friends who genuinely care. "I'm just really glad I have you guys."

Wally smirked a little smirk. "We love you too, Artemis."

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><p><strong>AN: It's over, at last. Another thing to check off my list. Anyways, review and thanks for reading, everyone!**

**~Sky**


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